Commentary on the Sin of Qianqiu Gong - Analysis of the Right and Wrong of the Founding Hero of the Western Han Dynasty Marquis Han Xin Gong (5)

Original Kang Youpeng

Statue of Han Xin

The story of Han Xin's life has been described. "There are often times when two or three theories coexist in the "Records of History", and Sima Qian never judges himself, and leaves it to the choice of future generations; those who do not understand his reserved attitude think that Sima Qian has a lot of resistance!" In fact, Sima Qian's style of writing is not contradictory, but learns from Confucius's attitude of "no sign (evidence) and no belief", so when he writes history, he insists on the theory that history exists differently and is cautious not to judge. As for the case of The Marquis of Huaiyin's "conspiracy to rebel", it seems that the clues can be glimpsed from the trajectory of his life. Judging from his situation in his childhood, everything was forced to a "desperate situation", and he would not open another path: from being rejected in the Tingchang's house to leaving in anger; then from being humiliated by the "evil young" and "stabbing me" with a sword, to either "out of my crotch", he chose to "survive in a desperate way". It seems that this personality accompanied Han Xin throughout his life. At the end of the Qin Dynasty, he first followed Xiang Liang and then Xiang Yu from the army, and fought for three years, but did not show his ambitions; he was transferred to the small post of "Lian Ao" with the King of Han, and because he was beheaded for committing a crime, he was on the verge of death and was wronged, but fortunately escaped a disaster; later, because Huai Cai did not meet, he abandoned the minor official and fled, and finally because of Xiao He's advice, Fang was worshipped as a "general" by the King of Han. Since then, it is like a dragon returning to the sea, taking advantage of the situation to exert its ambition! It is believed that as a hot-blooded young man born in a chaotic world, this kind of behavior of choosing wood for good birds and seeking knowledge from soldiers, even in ancient times when loyalty and righteousness were paid attention to, could not be simply regarded as "Qin Twilight Chu", and in the chaotic world of Qin and Han and even the Spring and Autumn Warring States period, It was fashionable for Qishiduo to defect to the Ming Lord. In addition, from Han Xin's promise to the drifting mother who had given him food to "repay the favor", guo was grateful for the heavy money after he became famous; and when his family was poor when he was young, his mother chose "high open land" as a yin house, which shows that he knows the grace and has far-sighted ambitions, and is also very comparable. Because of this personality, after Han Xin gained merit and gained the lordship, he met two lobbyists to persuade him to "divide the world into three parts" and the king, and he refused to repay the favor of the king of Han and never betray han and stand on his own. However, with the fall of Chu and the unification of the world, Han Xin was twice "stripped of his army", and the king of Qi was made the king of Chu, and then the king of Chu was demoted to the marquis of Huaiyin. Especially after the feudal state was removed and escorted to Chang'an, his naïve illusions were shattered. Therefore, he often said that he was sick and did not want to serve the imperial court, and he was also ashamed to be in the company of Daihou, Fan, and Dou Bao, and vented his resentment with sneering and sneering in an idle time with Emperor Gao. It can be imagined that at this time, for Han Xin, who is keen on utilitarianism and has a clear hatred of love, his state of mind is almost on the verge of collapse. Therefore, he sought an opportunity to "plot rebellion" and made a desperate bet, trying to rise up, it seems not difficult to understand, but the main reason was caused by the persecution of Emperor Gao. I think that Sima Guang's commentary on the history of the Zizhi Tongjian alone is more profound and accurate: "Seizing the opportunity to seek benefits is the ambition of the villains in the city; establishing great merit to repay kindness is the mind of a gentleman with the ambition to be a gentleman." Isn't it too difficult for Han Xinxin to seek benefits for himself, but ask others to reciprocate with the mind of a gentleman?"

From the perspective of big history, Han Gaozu personally experienced the bloody and rainy war and chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, and personally felt the suffering of the common people suffering from turmoil, in order to maintain the hard-won unity of the world, prevent the reunification from falling into division again, restrict and even cut off the separatist forces, although there is his selfish intention, it is also in line with the development trend of the times. But his shady methods, such as eradicating dissidents, killing heroes, and presumption of innocence, should be spurned by the times and taken as a warning by those who came after him. Judging from the political structure of the Han Dynasty, some areas in the early Han Dynasty followed the Qin system and established counties, while other places adopted the sub-feudal system, which was also the general trend at that time. In order to win the Battle of Chu and Han, the King of Han used expediency to divide the powerful princes with different surnames; and after the unification of the world, it seems that Gao Zu thought that if his sons were crowned kings, they could rule for a long time to ensure the eternal stability of the country and mountains. Do you know that with the passage of time, the princes of the same surname who were divided into titles inevitably had contradictions and confrontations with the imperial court? During the era of Emperor Wen of Han, the young politician Jia Yi keenly discovered the source of turmoil, put forward the public security strategy of "building the masses and building the princes with less strength", and suggested weakening the power of the princes with the same surname, but due to the limitations of the times, they could not be implemented. In the era of Emperor Jing, the courtier Chao mistakenly suggested that the emperor implement the strategy of "cutting the domain" at the cost of his life, which triggered the "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu", although the rebellion was quickly quelled, and it did not solve the stubborn problem of the princes sitting on the throne. After emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty came to power, he adopted the "Tui En Order" offered by the minister's father, basically realized the national peace and security, and through a series of measures, made the Han Empire live in the forest of the world's nations, and continued for more than four hundred years, leaving a strong mark in Chinese history.

From ancient times to the present, the evaluation of Marquis Han Xin of Huaiyin, especially the "conspiracy" incident that concerned his family's life, has been divided into different opinions and disagreements. As the only remaining authoritative historical materials, the "History" and "Book of Han" were the first to be promoted. From the comparison between the two, it can be seen that most of the basic content of the latter originates from the former, but in Han Xin's account of "rebellion", the "Shi Ji" uses the "Spring and Autumn Brushwork", alluding to the narrative, although there is little discussion, but it seems to have a deep meaning in reading; while the "Book of Han" downplays the omission of the content of "conspiracy to rebel", as an influential historian Ban Gu, evaluates Han Xin and other heroes for "temporary change of power, success of deception". Obviously unfair, it is evident that the honorable Han suppresses Han. There are generally two opinions in the academic community on this:

(1) There are many doubts about Han Xin's "rebellion", and it seems that he was "wrongfully killed" by Liu Bang because of his high merits. First, when Liu And Xiang sheng were undecided, Han Xin insisted on refusing the temptation of lobbyists, and when Liu Bang sat firmly in the world, he had different ambitions and was contrary to common sense. Second, Han Xin should have been aware of the suspicion of the King of Han when he was seized of military power twice, but after Liu Bangbing was trapped in The Tombs, he did not rebel, and the kings of Qi and Chu did not rebel, but they rebelled when they had no office and no power, and they were living in Chang'an, how could the "soldier immortals" be so unscrupulous. Third, under "residential surveillance," Han Xin conspired with Chen Feng to "step into court with him left and right.", how could such a secret outsider know? Where does the historian know? Fourth, Chen Feng was a close confidant of Liu Bang, and after his promotion to a foreign post, he politely bid farewell to Han Xin, how dare Han Xin confide in him such a rebellious extermination! Fifth, Han Xin's conspiracy to rebel was reported by his brother," so how could such a major secret be easily leaked? Sixth, if Han Xin really plotted rebellion, how could he trust Xiao He and not take any precautions? Seventh, Han Xin's "conspiracy to rebel" was not yet known, and he was booby-trapped and killed by Lü Hou; for the "first meritorious man" who was not tried and beheaded, did Liu Bang not pursue responsibility? Is it a conspiracy of "emperors and queens"? Those who hold the above views, in addition to the "History of the Marquis of Huaiyin" narrative containing "qu pen" as a basis, but also with post-biographical historical commentary to corroborate: "If Han Xin learns to be humble, does not cut down his own merits, and does not respect his ability, then Shu Ji, Yu Hanjiaxun can be compared to the disciples of Zhou, Zhao, and Taigong, and the blood of future generations." (Sima Qian) Immediately afterward, Tai Shi Gong turned his pen forward: "It is not necessary to do this, but the world has been gathered, but it is a conspiracy to rebel and destroy the clan, it is not appropriate!" To the effect that if Han Xin learned to be humble, with his merits, he could be on a par with Zhou Gong, Zhao Gong and Jiang Taigong! Unfortunately, Han Xin did not do this, but instead plotted rebellion when the world was stable and was wiped out of the three tribes. In connection with the narrative throughout the chuanji, it seems to be implied in the historical commentary: In the world, it has been settled, and everyone knows that things that are not appropriate are now on the body of Han Xin, the "soldier", which is obviously incredible, is it reasonable for Han Xin to be exterminated because of his rebellion! (The above is summarized by Zhang Tianyue's point of view). This is reminiscent of the historical commentary of "Yunbu on Han Xin": "Only by being humiliated by the crotch can we unite a million troops; only by judging the hour and sizing up the situation can we build up the merits of the world." How can a great general be willing to live under people for a long time? The hero of the world will die of a woman's knife. Endure humiliation under the crotch, the strength of human nature, ambition in the chest; endure humiliation under the crotch, the weakness of human nature, and eventually be imprisoned. Dialectical proverbs, intriguing, and thoughtful!

(2) It is believed that Han Xin deserved to be killed, which was caused by his "heart of the city". First, Han Xinben was not a member of the Liu Bang clique, and had first cast Xiang Yu and then run to Liu Bang, and was suspected of "going to Qin and Twilight Chu". When he first defected to Liu Bang, he only received the post of "Lian Ao" as a minor official. Later, because of "sitting on the law and beheading", he was spared the death penalty by Liu Bang's close confidant Xiahou Bao, and was also promoted to the rank of Governor of Su. Second, Because Han Xin committed a "capital crime but did not kill", he was not satisfied after his promotion, and he actually fled privately, and he should have committed another capital crime. After Xiao He recovered it, he was strongly recommended, and was worshiped by Liu Bang as a general. Third, for the sake of his own selfish interests, Han Xin disregarded the fact that he had persuaded the State of Qi and his life to be in danger, and took advantage of the situation to enter and secretly attack the State of Qi. As a result, Liu Bang not only lost his beloved general, but also caused Liu Bang to lose his trust in the world, and his brother Li Shang also hated it into the bone marrow. Fourth, the King of Han and the King of Chu were in a position to hold xingyang, and in a very critical time, Han Xin did not send troops to rescue him, but instead took the opportunity to attack the state of Qi and ask for the title of "false king of Qi". Liu Bang endured anger and followed Zhang Liang's plan, and against his will, he sealed Han Xin as the King of Qi. Fifth, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang "demarcated the boundary", and after the peace treaty was established, Liu Bang betrayed his faith and led his troops to pursue, because Han Xin and Peng Yue did not fight as scheduled, and the King of Han was trapped in Guling. Liu Bang had no choice but to ask Zhang Liang, and as a result, after giving Han Xin and Peng Yue a fief, they were willing to send troops to encircle King Xiang yu. It can be seen that although Liu Bang is "the bird is hidden with a bow, and the rabbit is cooked by a dead dog", Han Xin has always been rewarding and bargaining for merit, and has never had the heart of "a soldier as a confidant" and "a dripping water gushing spring". Liu Bang already had the idea of killing Han Xin, but he didn't have the ability at that time. As Sima Guang praised: "Gao Zu used deceit to believe in Chen, and there were negative words (there were losses to Han Xin); although, the letter also had to be taken (Han Xin also had the place to be captured). At first, Han and Chu were separated from Xingyang, and the letter destroyed Qi, and did not return the favor to the king; then Han chased Chu to Guling, and attacked Chu with the letter period and did not believe; when it was, Gao Zu had the inherent heart to win the trust, and Gu Li could not hear it. And the world has been decided, believe in the restoration of what a shame! (Tongjian Vol. XII) The historical commentary derived from this: "The man multiplies the time to benefit from the profit, and the one who is the one who repays the merits is also the heart of the gentleman." It is not difficult to believe in the ambition of the city, and to look at people with the heart of a gentleman! "(Comments on)!

Summarizing the evaluation of Han Xin in the past dynasties and online texts, it can be briefly described as: △ As a military expert, the battles he commanded were won by wisdom, which can be described as a stroke of God, which made posterity look up to him. For example, the Classic Battle Examples of the Ming Xiu Trail, the Secret Crossing chen cang, the Linjin Dynasty Doubt, the Xiayang Stowaway Crossing, the Wooden Poppy Crossing Army, the Backwater As a Battalion, the Raising of the Banner, the Transmission of the Banner, the Sinking of Sand and Breaking the Water, the Half-Crossing attack, the Embattled Song, and the Ten-Sided Ambush, have been familiar to people and praised by all generations. △ As a strategist, he had a classic dialogue with the King of Han (i.e., the "Hanzhong Pair") when he was a general, the fundamental policy of winning the Chu-Han War; after the Northern Expedition captured Wei, he also put forward a specific strategy for cutting off the princes and finally encircling the King of Xiang at the right time, the correctness of which has been verified by the practice of war. △ As a commander-in-chief, he is under one person and above ten thousand people, with brilliant achievements and "no two achievements". Led the army out of Chen Cang, Ding San qin, capture Wei, break the dynasty, destroy Zhao, descend Yan, and cut Qi, until the total annihilation of the Chu army under the command of the Chu army, without a single defeat, the world did not dare to fight with the front, and made great achievements for the foundation of the two Han Dynasties and four hundred years. △ As a military theorist, he and Zhang Liang sorted out the military books, and wrote three articles on the art of war, "Han Xin". △ As a social person, he was known as "the unparalleled soldier of the country", with loyalty to Liu Bang "although it is not easy to die", with the virtue of "a meal and a thousand gold" for his drifting mother, as well as a broad mind that does not care about the "humiliation of the crotch", and extreme trust in his friend Xiao He, but in the end he quietly fell into the starry sky of history with "success is also Xiao He, defeat is also Xiao He"! He was only thirty-five years old.

【Afterword】

According to the "History of History", which has been recognized by historians and future generations, Humble Works attempts to objectively show the life of Han Xin, a "generation of famous generals", so that the world has a more comprehensive understanding of it. However, due to the limitation of the level of understanding and the ability to express words, mistakes are inevitable. Please ask the Fang family and interested friends not to teach and criticize the right and wrong. Take history as a mirror, make the root, look at the general trend, straighten out its body, and enlighten future generations!

First drafted on October 9, 2021 at Yuyuantan South Road, Beijing

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